Saturated and Unsaturated Fat
Right we’re back on ‘good’ and ‘bad’ fats again, as it’s a topic that still causes a lot of discourse. Even the academics can’t find a consensus they all agree on, so how are you supposed to know what to include in your diet?
Let’s start with a quick refresher. We have Saturated Fat (SFA – the FA is fatty acids), Polyunsaturated Fat (PUFA), and Monounsaturated Fat (MUFA). We do also have Trans-Fats but as everyone does agree they’re bad no need for anything further there!
The commonly referred to as ‘bad’ fat is SFA, and the ‘good’ PUFA. The image above tells you some food sources of each. If it helps you remember which is which SFAs are usually solid at room temperature – like butter, and unsaturated fats are liquid – like olive oil.
Is it really good or bad then?
For a long time SFA has been linked with an increased risk of heart disease. In nutritional research there are a lot of correlations, however we can’t always use that to be certain of the causation. For example people who eat lots of red meat are more likely to be less health seeking individuals. If they also smoke, drink and don’t exercise how can we extrapolate the red meat being the cause, or how much of a contributing factor it is?
There are studies showing benefits for dairy, which is an SFA. Some of the healthiest populations in the world eat a Mediterranean diet which is high in fat. But it’s predominantly unsaturated sources, which have been shown to have cardio-protective properties. So where does this leave us?
Overall Diet
Your total dietary fat content is what you should focus on. You can eat a healthy diet which is high in total fat. But for that to be the case the makeup of how much SFA vs. how much PUFA is important. It should be limiting the former and replacing with the latter where possible. Also with an emphasis getting enough Omega 3.
PS. Please don’t put butter in your coffee. It’s greasy and gross, plus a heap of extra calories. Just add milk or sugar if you don’t like it black!
(Reposted from Instagram)
